Dinner, for Ren, was as always: delicious. His mother cooked very well, and that night was no exception.
After dinner, Yuna left. For Ren, it was a relief; at least he would not have to endure that situation any longer. However, the calm did not last long. His mother, as expected, wanted to know what had happened.
Ren told her everything in detail, even though he felt as if every word tightened around his neck. Going out with people he had just met to a place where alcohol flowed like water was, without a doubt, cause for concern. However, what troubled his mother the most was not that, but finding out that the girl had a boyfriend.
After telling everything, Ren went to rest.
Or at least, that was what he was supposed to do.
***
About two days had passed since Miya had gone to dinner at his house, and Ren still had many questions for her. He even considered picking up his phone and calling her, but it seemed that the thread of destiny had something better prepared.
There was a knock at the door. Ren thought it was his mother returning from work, so he quickly headed to the entrance. With an automatic smile, he opened the door.
And as if it were something absurd, there was Miya, wearing a long white dress.
Ren, in general, was not someone who opened the door to strangers, much less let them in. But what could he do with Miya? She had already been in his house before; besides, she was his female friend.
Carefully, Miya came in. Ren offered her a glass of water, and when both were seated in the living room, he noticed it. Miya was clearly sad; there were obvious traces that she had been crying.
Seeing her like that, Ren asked in a gentle voice:
"Are you okay?"
"No, Ren, I'm not okay," Miya murmured, bringing both hands to her face as tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I broke up with Jersey and... I didn't know where to go. I thought of you, because you're my friend, right?"
Ren froze for a moment, watching Miya's body tremble slightly. Carefully, he sat beside her on the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"But what happened?" he asked softly.
Miya removed her hands from her face, revealing reddened, swollen eyes.
"Jersey was a very bad person," she said between sobs. "He cheated on me, he controlled me... everything was a disaster. I thought I could change him, but he only hurt me more and more. Why am I so stupid, Ren? Why do I always choose the worst?"
Ren frowned, feeling a wave of empathy mixed with confusion. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. He extended his hand to take hers, but as he did, his gaze fell on Miya's arms. Beneath the short sleeves of the dress, he saw purple and yellowish bruises, marks that looked like fingerprints pressing hard.
"Miya... what are these bruises?" he asked, full of concern. "Did he hit you? If that's the case, you can't let it go. I have to do something, call the police or—"
She shook her head vehemently, quickly covering her arms as if trying to hide the evidence.
"No, Ren, please," she pleaded through tears. "Don't do anything. It would only make things worse. Jersey is... complicated. Promise me you'll leave it like this. I don't want more trouble, I just need time to heal."
Ren hesitated, but Miya's pleading eyes made him accept what she asked.
"All right," he said, trying to sound calm. "Everything will be fine, Miya. Just calm down, okay? I'm here for you, as a friend. We can talk about everything you need."
Miya wiped her tears with the back of her hand, forming a weak smile.
"Thank you, Ren. You're the best. My worst error was being with Jersey... I never should have let him drag me into that hell. But now, by getting away from him, I can start again."
Chapter 6: Dressed in Black